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The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is the centralized information repository for ServiceNow, the IT Service Management system that the Division of IT has used since 2014 for user support, incident management, and service provision. Adobe Stock photo.

The Configuration Management Database (CMDB) is the centralized information repository for ServiceNow, the IT Service Management system that the Division of IT has used since 2014 for user support, incident management, and service provision.

The CMDB contains key information about the division's IT assets, including hardware, software, and services. Its purpose is to provide a single source of truth about the IT environment and the relationships between assets, as well as to support processes for IT operations, change enablement, and incident management. 

Keeping our CMDB accurate and up to date is essential to 

  • Reduce the risk of unplanned downtime by providing accurate information about assets;

  • Increase operational efficiency by showing what systems are affected by changes;

  • Improve decision-making and cost savings by identifying at-risk and underused resources; and 

  • Support new and existing processes by providing history and visibility of assets and their dependencies. 

Efforts to update the CMDB began in July 2022 with adoption of the ServiceNow Common Service Data Model. In support of IT Transformation Project 5.1, the IT Experience and Engagement (ITEE) ServiceNow team reviewed and updated all existing services in the CMDB, standardizing them on the Common Service Data Model, as well as developing an automation-driven service request that allows service owners to update and maintain their own services. 

The ITEE ServiceNow team also manually created service mappings and imported related Configuration Items (i.e., individual components such as servers, network devices, applications, and services) and assets to support the restructured CMDB. Working with the Campus Planning, Infrastructure, and Facilities GIS team, university locations data was brought into the CMDB and synchronized to System of Record data, allowing for room-level granularity in identifying the location of people, events, or assets. 

As part of the IT Transformation Program, funding was established to begin full implementation of a university-wide CMDB that expands our “estate” of IT assets through automated discovery of data center assets and integration of endpoint management data. 

The comprehensive, multi-dimensional view into the university’s IT assets we can gain from implementing a university-wide CMDB provides more accurate data to help offices confidently plan for the renewal and replacement of assets. It also streamlines the processes for Asset Lifecycle Management strategy and tracking of IT assets from deployment to retirement. This increased efficiency can decrease the likelihood of security risks from mismanaged or forgotten assets.

Snapshot of the ServiceNow Common Service Data Model CMDB dashboard.
Snapshot of the ServiceNow Common Service Data Model CMDB dashboard.

In the coming fiscal year, the ITEE ServiceNow team, in collaboration with IT Transformation, will implement additional tools to support our work towards a university-wide CMDB, including:

  • The ServiceNow ITOM (IT Operations Management) Discovery to identify data center assets and their configurations

  • Service Graph Connectors to integrate endpoint systems such as Jamf and BigFix

  • Service Mapping to associate and visualize service dependencies and integrations

This expansion and automation of core IT asset data will facilitate the enhancement of existing service management processes as well as the design and implementation of new processes, providing best practice metrics and analysis through dashboards, reports, and workspaces.